A Debt Repaid
by bufffycat
Summary: It was through unfortunate circumstances that Francis found himself requiring to be taken in and become one of the merfolk and something he never regretted. Years later he finds a man abandoned to the sea and decides to help, though it is only pity that is causing him to want to do so, right? Merman Francis x Pirate Arthur
1. Chapter 1

A young Francis felt his head slam against the hard wooden deck of the sailing ship. Just one more injury to add to the growing list he had already acquired. This one though had him seeing stars as he tried to collect himself together again. A man somewhere laughed cruelly at his vain attempts. The familiar voice could only belong to the man he had known as his uncle once upon a time. The same man who had gained guardianship of him with the death of his parents and had brought him aboard this merchant ship for entertainment on his long journeys.

Francis settled for just trying to keep his eyes open, but his sight felt hazy. There had been many nights of this torture, a few had been much worse than the others, but none had been as bad as tonight was. His body ached, his skin marred by numerous fresh bruises to cover the old, and he was bleeding in several places. And that was just the damage that could be seen.

A few crew members argued with each other. Apparently some felt they wouldn't be getting their turns with the quickly fading boy. Francis paid them little mind. It wouldn't matter much anyway what the outcome was. What he wanted now more than anything was to leave them to join the comfort that came with the steadily growing darkness pulling at him.

He felt someone prod him in the side, but he was too tired to wince at the pain that it caused. There was more talking, but it seemed to be so far away. Rest felt close enough to take, and Francis could feel himself drifting away. He hardly registered that someone was lifting him and carrying him somewhere. The where didn't truly matter. It would either be to the cell where he spent most of his days or someone's private chambers. The walk didn't last that long though, and instead he was now hearing the sounds of the sea and the wind much clearer. Was he outside? When was the last time he had been above deck?

The movement stopped for the briefest of moments and during that short time, Francis's mind relaxed. It would be over soon, wouldn't it? He could finally rest. He would have smiled had he been able to move at all. Next was the feeling of falling and by the time he hit the surface of the cold hard water he had blacked out and his unconscious body sank from view.

* * *

"You sure he's not dead? He kinda looks like it."

"Gilbert! Will you please stop talking? The transformation process takes time and your continual talking is giving me a sore head."

Francis kept his eyes closed, though he wasn't sure he could open them yet anyways. He couldn't recognize any of these voices. Angels, perhaps? Maybe he had finally perished and he was about to be greeted by those who would lead him on to the next life. He hoped it was everything nice like they said.

"But we are going to keep him, right?"

"Of course Antonio! Who would be if we didn't take him home with us?"

"Really, Romulus? He is not a pet."

If this was heaven, then the people already here are strange.

Feeling more awake, Francis let his eyelids slowly drift open and waited for his vision to focus. When they did, the only thing he saw were pink and green eyes staring back.

"He lives!" the pink-eyed one laughed. Francis simply stared in return, unsure which pair of widely grinning faces to look at.

"Alright, that's enough. Give the boy some room." Both heads disappeared and it took another moment for Francis's eyes to adjust, now seeing two much older men. The brunette grinned and gave a small wave and the blonde with long hair looked on with rigid seriousness. "Are you alright? Can you speak?"

Francis thought for a moment, recalling words and sentences before giving a small nod. "Yes…"

The boy with pink eyes cheered "Success!" earning him a glare from the older blonde. The small brunette laughed, his green eyes sparkling in happiness.

"Can you tell us your name?" The older brunette asked, smiling widely as he leaned closer to hear the answer. Francis had to think a while to remember what he had been called previously, before he had been brought aboard the ship. "F-Francis."

"It's great to meet you, Francis. I'm Romulus." The brunette pointed to his stern looking friend. "And this Gerhart." The blonde gave a short nod.

"Alright, my turn." The loud boy cut in. "I am the awesome Gilbert! And this," he waved a hand to indicate his friend, "is the less awesome, but still pretty cool Antonio." Antonio smiled brightly.

Francis's eyes traveled around the mostly stupidly grinning group that sat around him. They were all fairly strange, strangest being that they were sitting around him on a vacant beach without a stitch of clothing to cover themselves with. He knew why he hadn't been wearing anything prior to this meeting, but it didn't explain why they were not, or how any of them had arrived at this place. Hadn't he previously been on a ship at sea?

"How…?" Francis asked, trying to sit up though his head spun.

"Hey, take it easy." The one called Romulus placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Francis flinched at the contact and missed the adults exchanging worried glances.

"I will explain everything." Gerhart started as Francis relaxed slightly on the sand. "The four of us were traveling when we passed by the ship you were on and my son wanted to stop even though I specifically told him no." He directed a glare at Gilbert. "We saw you fall overboard and rescued you." He hesitated a moment as he studied the boy's face for any sort of reaction. "It didn't seem that they were looking to take you with them, and we brought you here to wait for you to wake up."

That all made reasonable sense to Francis, though where the ship they had traveled in was or still why they would be in the nude had yet to be answered.

"If you have nowhere else to go, you can come with us. We have plenty of room for one more." Romulus asked, his eyes searching the blue ones for an answer.

Francis tried once again, this time managing to sit up and look around the odd group. It was strange how they were asking him if he wanted to join them. They asked as though they would accept him saying no. But they seemed friendly enough, and what the man had said about having nowhere to go was true. After all, wasn't he supposed to be dead? Very slowly, he nodded his head. "Yes…"

"Awesome! You are going to love being a merman with us!" Gilbert cheered. Francis started and then stared as Gilbert gave a battle cry of "To the sea!" and lead the charge towards the crashing waves, Antonio a few steps behind him. Both boys jumped into the water and quickly disappeared beneath the surface.

Gerhart frowned in the direction his son had gone before warming ever so slightly to look at Francis again. "We aren't human, but we will take care of you. We did have to change you into one of us in order to save you from your wounds. I hope you can forgive us for that."

Francis couldn't stop staring. What were these people talking about? Mermen? Stories like that were simply that. Stories. He didn't believe in such things.

A white-haired head burst up out the water with a cocky grin. "Hey! Any slower and you'll become a fish fillet! Come on in! The water's awesome!" The boy dove below the surface and a large tail splashed as he once again disappeared. Francis blinked several times.

"Shall we go? Do you need a hand up?" Francis looked at the hand Romulus offered to him. This was all crazy, but he somehow felt at peace with these people. He felt he could trust them and so he tentatively placed his hand into Romulus's, allowing the man to gently pull him to his feet.

He followed the two men as they walked the short distance down the beach to the water. His body still ached, his skin was a terrible shade of black and blue bruises, and he was heavily limping. Still, he managed to carry himself to the water's edge. He watched as Romulus and Gerhart strode in and sank into the water, leaving only their heads and the tops of their shoulders out.

"It's alright." Romulus called, lifting a hand above the water to wave him in. Francis took a hesitant step forward, allowing the water to wash over his toes. It felt comfortable, and he wanted nothing more than to be in it. A few more steps and he too sunk down into the water leaving only his head out.

Things felt strange and he glanced down to find that where his legs once were a tail had taken its place. He moved it back and forth through the water slowly and twitched the fins at the end testing them. When he was finished he looked at the adults who beckoned him to join them and went beneath the surface. With a final glance towards the vacant beach, Francis followed his new family's lead.

"Took you long enough!" Gilbert swam easy circles around the struggling Francis. "Your swimming style is so un-awesome. You seriously look like your drowning. Keep that up and you'll be attracting sharks." Francis shot him a glare.

"Enough Gilbert, he's learning. These things take time." Gerhart chided. The boy shrugged and continued to circle.

"I've been meaning to ask, were you in a fight?" Francis carefully watched the boy. "Because you look like you were. Hope you won though." He flashed a bright grin. The adults tensed as they listened in.

"A fight would require both sides fighting, no?" Francis said slowly, looking away from the albino.

Gilbert's face fell as he understood the meaning of the words and he stopped swimming, drifting slightly in the water. "Oh." He was quiet a moment and then swam forward to grasp one of Francis's hands in his own. "Then I will make you my friend and we spend time together doing whatever I think is awesome." Francis smiled slightly at his ridiculous new friend.

"Me too! We will be a trio!" Antonio grabbed his other free hand. Francis laughed a little, the first time he had in a long time, and let himself be pulled along towards a new life, forgetting everything that had happened in his previous one.

In a way, Francis had died that night and had been reborn.

* * *

_Many years later…_

Francis easily propelled himself through the warm waters that he had come to call his home. Sunlight filtered through the water, sparkling off of his dark blue scales and he marveled in his own beauty. There were not many who could compare to his long flowing fins and he took great pride in the way he could effortlessly glide his way through corals and beds of kelp.

The day was still young and Francis had found himself without the company of his friends, something that had become rare. Antonio was off chasing down the Italian ships he found himself so fond of and Gilbert was preoccupied tormenting another of their kind. This left Francis to his own devices for the afternoon and had chosen to take a leisurely swim, gracefully winding his way through the deeper waters and darting schools of fish.

The sun was at its apex in the sky and Francis felt relaxed, rolling onto his back to allow the ocean currents to carry him along when something above him caught his eye. A shadow bobbing on the surface on an otherwise empty sea. Curiosity peaked, he swam upwards approaching the bottom of what appeared to be a small dinghy. Easing his head above the surface, he studied the small craft. It looked as though it were only capable to hold a handful of people so long as they didn't mind being close with one another. The wood appeared old and worn, a name painted on the side no longer visible. It was a craft that should be attached to a much larger vessel, not floating by itself.

Francis circled the boat, examining it from all angles as he pondered why it would be here. The seas had been calm, so it was not likely that it could have lost during a storm. Perhaps there had been an accident and the original ship had been lost. A great naval battle between two warring factions, or pirates commandeering a weaker ship for what supplies or riches could be gained. His mind ran wild with the possibilities that could have come with the small wooden craft and when he had seen all sides of the exterior he approached the side. Wrapping his fingers over the ledge and flicking his fail, he lifted himself high enough for his eyes to see inside. When he caught sight of the human lying on the bottom he was quick to release the boat and push himself away.

From several feet below, Francis watched the distorted image awaiting movement of the occupant. Several minutes passed and nothing happened causing him to suspect whether the human would move at all. Another minute of waiting, and he silently broke through the surface of the water to stare at the craft. There were no sounds from inside, only those made by the gentle sloshing of the water against the wooden planks. Maybe whoever it was that was inside of the vessel was dead. There could only be one way to confirm such a conclusion, and Francis gingerly repeated his earlier motions to peer inside once again.

The human hadn't moved, but Francis could see the gentle rise and fall of the man's chest indicating some form of life. His dark blue eyes searched the interior, though there was nothing inside it besides the man, his coat, and a hat. There were no oars or provisions and nothing was on the horizon to indicate that any would be arriving to claim the wayward boat. Francis rested his forearms on the edge so that he could better study the man that lay before him. Whoever he was, he was blonde and his eyebrows appeared to be overtaking his forehead, and though he wore a plain shirt and trousers, his coat and hat were decorated. Francis rested his cheek against one of his arms as he watched. The man appeared to be in a fitful sleep. It was possible he could have been in the boat for days and without food or water and he would not be surviving for much longer.

Francis looked on for a minute longer while he made up his mind. It had to be pity for the poor creature that he felt and what was coercing him into wanting to help. He knew these waters well and knew that there was a small island not far from them, though it would take most of the rest of the day for them to reach it. Sliding back into the water, he positioned himself at the stern and began to push using large strokes of his tail and slowly the strange company began to move towards distant land.

The sun was waning by the time the island was in reach. Francis was exhausted from the exertion, dropping into the shallow water as soon as the boat bumped against the sand that formed the beach. He lay still for a long while, muscles twitching from exertion, and not even realizing that he had fallen asleep until the light of the rising sun heralded the new day.

His eyes opened slowly, feeling disoriented and having to recall where he had been the night before. He had been swimming, and then there was a boat, and a human. Francis sat up, the tide having come in while he slept and he now sat in water that reached his shoulders. The boat was drifting slightly, the bottom of it brushing against the sand and keeping it from heading back out to sea and as there had been before there were no signs of movement or sounds coming from within it. Francis considered if he should check on the man inside, wondering if perhaps he had arrived too late to be of any help to the man inside. While he thought about it, there was a noise on the beach and Francis turned to meet the man himself standing before him. The man paused when he saw Francis, then stood up straight to address him. "Ah, I see you're finally awake. I have fruit here for breakfast if you eat that sort of thing." When Francis made no indications, he took that as affirmation and gently tossed one so that it landed with a splash within arm's reach. Francis stared at the fruit, causing the man to roll his eyes. "All I did was pick it."

His stomach grateful for the small meal, Francis bit into the fruit hungrily, his meal partner following soon after. The fruit was a bit too under-ripe for his liking, but he assumed a starving man would pay little attention to such things. The man had taken a seat on the sand and was watching him with interest in his green eyes. "I suppose I have you to thank for rescuing me from my predicament?" Francis gave a slow nod as he continued to eat. "Then I am in your debt. I should hope to repay you for kindness someday if it is possible."

Francis raised an eyebrow at the strange man as he swallowed what was left of his morning meal. "You don't seem too surprised at me existing."

The man's polite facade slipped a little as he looked at the merman before him. "I once cared for a unicorn foal that had lost his parent and am well versed in all manner of mystical creatures, but your voice..." His large eyebrows furrowed as he thought.

"Unicorns?" Francis gave a laugh. "I don't believe that they are real."

"They are real..." Arthur scowled. "And your accent... You're bloody French aren't you?"

Francis pursed his lips as he thought. "Originally, though it has been some years since I have laid eyes of French shores." He flashed a dazzling smile at the irritated man on the beach. "And I would not need to guess that by that reaction you are indeed English."

"Of course I am, you sod!" The man angrily kicked at the sand. "I have the worst luck possible to have been rescued by a frog!"

"I think I qualify as something a little less amphibious..."

"Be quiet!" The man shouted before hanging his head and bemoaning his existence. "Why do these things happen to me?"

With a frown Francis churned the water with his tail from where he sat in the waves. "I'm sure it has something to do with your personality."

"I don't suppose there is any way we can hurry along some form of repayment...?" The man asked hopefully.

Francis shook his head with a devious grin. "And lose your precious company? Are you that eager to spend the rest of your days trapped alone on this little island?"

The man was quiet as he seemed to think through the situation. "You wouldn't care to tell me exactly where we were, would you?"

Francis crossed his arms, looking smugly at the man on the beach. "And what would I get out of such an arrangement?"

"Why the bloody hell would I have to trade something for the information?!" The man cursed a few more times to the amusement of Francis who looked on.

"How about this: I will tell you what I know if you were to share who you are and how you came to be sailing in a craft with no oars?" Francis watched the man as he seemed to have an internal argument with himself over whether or not he should speak such information or not. With what he had learned so far from the man, it seemed likely that his ship had sunk and he had forgotten to put such necessities into his life raft as he escaped.

"Fine, I will tell you, but then you must share with me everything." He glared at Francis with an unspoken threat. "I am Captain Arthur Krikland and I came to be in that boat," he nodded his head in the direction of the innocently bobbing craft, "because my crew decided they no longer wanted to work underneath me and set me a float to die a slow death on the sea."

Francis considered the information and cast a questioning eye at the captain. "So it was mutiny?"

With a grimace and nod, Arthur confirmed the statement. "Yes... now about the information...?"

"Why that punishment?" Francis ignored the man, unable to keep the interest in his voice hidden. "I thought that punishments on ships were walking the plank, or being keel hauled?"

Arthur paled slightly at discussing his possible methods of demise. "They... uh... thought it best suited that I die slowly..."

"How cruel." Francis nodded sympathetically. It had to be pity that he was reacting this way, he could think of no other explanation. "I will help you Captain Arthur, but I won't forget that you still owe me your life."

"Of course you wouldn't..." Arthur muttered, glaring again.

"There is not much that is within sailing distance of this island. Mostly more islands like this one." Francis explained.

"So what you're saying..." Arthur paused as he took everything in, "is that I am stuck here?"

Francis gave a small shrug. "Unless you're hoping to be rescued."

Arthur shook his head. "Then I'm stuck here, with a bloody French merman until death finally takes me."

"Look on the bright side," Francis grinned, "you have me to keep you company."

That was not something the captain had wanted to hear or would remotely consider being among the things to keep him optimistic if he ever was such to begin with. He grimaced once again, moving to stand and approaching the edge of the waves. "Well, this is all brilliant." He rolled the legs of his trousers up and kept a watchful eye of Francis as he stepped in heading towards the small boat.

Francis watched as the man attempted to single handily pull the boat to shore, and when it was no longer amusing to watch the other struggle he offered his help, swimming behind it and pushing. Arthur looked back in shock, and taking a few steps away from the wooden craft. "Wha-what are you doing? Stay out in the water!"

Francis frowned as he ducked his head into view of the other. "I am helping you."

The man stood where he was, staring at the merman. "I do not need your help!"

With a roll of his eyes, Francis replied back, "I think that you do. The two of us can manage it, so quit standing there." Reluctantly, Arthur stepped forward again to take hold of the craft and between the two of them were able to pull the boat to shore. However, when the water became too shallow, Francis was unable to assist any longer, and finding himself weary once again, lay down in the receding water to rest.

He shouldn't have, he knew he shouldn't have, but he was too tired to care and doubted if the human would be capable of hurting him. Francis closed his eyes, feeling the small waves pulse around him as they were drawn back out towards the sea and he could hear the heavy breathing of the man as he felt the similar need for a break. The breathing drew closer and Francis opened his eyes to see Arthur standing just outside arm's reach. "Shouldn't you go back into the water? Won't you dry out?"

Francis closed his eyes once again. "I would rather spend time here on the beach with you~"

"Git..." Arthur spat at him. "Go back into the bloody water!" With a sudden fit of laughter he looked down at him and asked, "Unless you are planning on pathetically pulling yourself along on your belly." He grinned with sure triumph at the victorious feeling.

With a small chuckle, Francis lifted his tail from the water, and watching as Arthur took a quick step back unsure at what he was doing. He waited as the water droplets ran off his fins and the tail receded to form two legs that felt strange to have once again. Arthur had become silent, his green eyes wide as he watched Francis turn and get his feet beneath him and stand up shakily. His smile was wide as he met the fearful gaze of the captain that was backing away, and the entire image would have been perfect had he not lost his balance and fallen forwards into the sand in the most ungraceful manner possible. There were fresh peals of laughter, and Francis looked up with a snarl to see Arthur doubled over with uncontrollable laughter. "You think that's funny? I ought to drag you out into the water and watch you try to swim."

All laughter ceased, and Arthur looked down with worry at Francis kneeling and trying to brush off the sand that stuck his chest. "I see..." He stood back as Francis pulled himself further onto the beach and rested comfortably. "I still do not know your name."

Francis looked over, smiling pleasantly. "You can refer to me, dear captain, as Francis." He gave a small gestured bow with the introduction.

Arthur scoffed. "Francis? You couldn't find a more French name if you tried." His eyes left Francis's blue pair, travelling down his bare chest and quickly returning up. "And why are you naked?!"

Francis shrugged uncaring. "I have no use for clothing as it would hinder my graceful movements and natural beauty. Enjoy the view. I am quite beautiful, no?" Francis enjoyed the gagging sound the other made, smiling happily as he watched the sea, until something hit him in the head.

"If you insist on spending time with me on the land, then you are required to clothe yourself. Wear that." Francis held out the long jacket that was thrown at him, needing a minute to recall how one wore such objects.

"Does this mean that you will wear less if you came into the water~?" The curses were like music to his ears as he as he pulled his arms through the sleeves of the jacket. The fabric felt foreign against his skin and a bit too constricting, and when he had oriented it correctly he turned and balanced himself on his knees to show the man. "How does it make me look? Do you think I look better with such garb?" He held his arms out modelling the article.

Arthur crossed his arms, his face slightly flushed as he looked away. "It would look better if you were to close up the front..."

* * *

_AN: This will most likely only be 2-3 chapters long. _


	2. Chapter 2

Unbeknownst to the crab, his every move was being watched by the careful hunter. He scuttled quickly across a sandier portion of the ocean attempting to reach the safety of rocky cover though its movements were not fast enough. Before it had time to react, it was lifted from the floor and no matter how much it struggled, it could not reach its sharp pincers to the hands that held it.

"I'm sorry friend," Francis muttered to the waving crab. "But, we must eat too." With a graceful arc, the merman headed towards the shoreline, following the same route he had for days. The crab refused to cease his vain struggles, and Francis ignored the creature's attempts at freedom. He only paused on in his swim to pick several strands of seaweed he found adequate to accompany the small meal and with everything collected he reached the sandy beach.

The seaweed was laid out carefully on the sand, and Francis kept an eye on the crustacean as it attempted to seize its freedom while he was occupied with transforming. He stood with a little less shaking each time, his legs becoming used to being used once again The deep red coat was folded with care and left a few feet from the water's edge and by transferring the crab from hand to hand, it was slipped on over his shoulders and had a few of the buttons done. Once finished, he ran his fingers through his wet locks combing them so that they fell into a more organized arrangement around his head and made his way with his crab and seaweed to the edge of the island's forest and the small wisp of smoke that steadily rose.

Arthur looked up as Francis stepped into the small clearing that had become the new home for the captain. The most primitive of shelters had been constructed out of fallen branches and the large leaves of the tropical vegetation. The man was occupied tending to the small fire pit that had been dug in the centre of the clearing and was the source of the light drifting smoke. Off to the side was the small hole deep enough to allow water to seep into it, and was being used as the blonde's source of fresh water.

Arthur was barely able to hide the corners of his mouth twitching upwards, or the sudden gleam that appeared in his eyes at the sight of Francis joining him. Instead of allowing the pleasure at having company show on his face, he twisted his mouth into frown and muttered, "I had hoped this was the day I wouldn't have to put up with you."

Francis took up his customary spot besides the fire, pulling his legs beneath him and smoothing out the coat once he was settled. "If only you were so lucky." He held up his still flailing crab and it barred its claws in defence. "Could I interest you in breakfast?"

"Yes, allow me to help you with that." Arthur reached forward to grasp the creature only to have his hands swatted away by the merman.

"I will not be subject to your cooking a second time." Francis scoffed and Arthur quickly frowned in response. The captain sat back in resignation and took to watching as Francis placed the crab on the hot coals.

"Fine, would you like a piece of fruit while we wait?" He asked moodily, and held out one of the small objects from his latest harvest. Francis took it gratefully and bit into the soft flesh while he tended to the roasting crab with a stick. Arthur's bright eyes were mesmerized by the movements and watching the crab's shell turn a new colour. "How is it that you know how to cook so well?"

Francis swallowed his mouthful while kept focused on their roasting meal. "I do not understand what you mean."

"What I mean is..." Arthur trailed a finger through the loose dirt beside him, tracing a rough design of nothing particular. "Surely you didn't learn among the merfolk, did you?"

Francis eyed the thickly browed man, realizing that the question had posed was indeed serious. "What do you believe I would eat then? Since I am a merfolk as you so kindly put it."

"How should I know?" Arthur shot back, grumbling several curses under his breath.

"I will tell you how I know to prepare a decent meal if you will answer me how it is you are so capable of ruining one." The blonde captain gaped.

"Ruin?" He finally managed to screech out. "My meals are bloody fine! They'll sustain you well enough!"

"If you are a dying man at sea with no other option, perhaps." Francis countered, pulling the readied crab from the fire to cool. Arthur crossed his arms, refusing to look at the other while they waited for the shell to be able to handle. When Francis deemed it ready, he pulled one of the legs from the body and held it out as a peace-offering. "I used to cook with my parents. They were the ones that taught me."

Arthur took the leg, allowing the barest of contact as his fingers brushed across the extended hand. "Your parents were mermaids though, correct?"

Francis shook his head, the still damp locks swinging against his chin. "No, they were human."

"Human?" Arthur choked on his food, needing to cough forcibly several times to clear his passageways. "Then how are you...?"

"My new family turned me when I was young." Francis supplied, using his tongue to gather the ruminants of meat on the shell.

Arthur turned over his portion in his hands. "What happened to your parents?"

"They died a long time ago." Francis sighed, refusing to allow the old memories to dredge up too many feelings.

"I'm sorry." The captain whispered and Francis waved the apology off.

"Don't be. They were taken by disease and little could have been done. And a considerable amount of time has passed since then." He closed his eyes for a moment, images of his long deceased parents filling his vision with bittersweet memories of events a lifetime ago.

"What happened after they passed that you became the way you are now?" Francis heard the man next to him ask, and a montage flashed through his mind of the dark interior of a ship and the many grasping hands that reeked of alcohol and he gave an involuntary shudder while his chest tightened.

"You... haven't answered my question yet." Arthur studied the man before him, curious as to his strange behaviour but deciding against pushing it further.

"I cook just as well as any of the others of my family." The British man sniffed, looking slightly perturbed at the accusation against his abilities.

"Tell me about them." Francis questioned, shaking off the lingering feelings of shame as he focused on something else. "What makes up the Kirkland household?"

"My father was a strict naval man, and he married my mother, a woman he met one day when he came into port and walked into her father's shop." Arthur recalled, tapping his fingers on his knee in a rhythmic pattern.

Francis leaned in closer, intrigued by the story. "That sounds romantic" he cooed to the other.

"Uh, yes..." Arthur blushed, as the other invaded his space. "Including myself, they had five sons. My three older brothers sail as officers on royal vessels and even my younger brother has found a place among his own ship."

"Ah," Francis winked, "but none are captains, are they?"

"No, they all hold respectable positions where they will not be hung as soon as they enter London." Arthur grimaced slightly, feeling a little homesick for his original home.

The merman tilted his head to the side while he considered what the man had said. "Then, you are... a pirate?" he guessed, and grinned when Arthur nodded. "A privateer! A filibuster! You are like the black sheep of your family, no?"

Arthur pulled away from the blonde's sudden excitement. "Me and my brothers have never really gotten on well. It seemed for the best that I pursued something different from them."

"Tell me, Pirate Captain," Francis quickly asked, his eyes brimming with wonder and making the royal blue sparkle, "have you fought battles on the high seas against large ships? Stolen priceless treasures from the hands of the kings? Had to flee from the grasp of the royal fleet?"

"Well... I..." Arthur began but was cut off.

"Oh, tell me tales of your encounters with tavern wenches!" Francis asked hopefully.

Arthur choked on a sudden intake of air. "Wh-What sort of question is that? Why would you be interested in tavern wenches?"

"I visit the ports now and again and I see some of them and they can be really quite lovely..." Francis began, his voice taking a deeper drawling tone as he thought of the young maidens that would visit the water front. "But alas!" He cried, making an overly dramatic sob and throwing himself into Arthur's lap, "they would only be with me if I had proper coin, even if they found my sparkling fins alluring."

Arthur tensed with the large man wrapping himself around his wiry frame, feeling uncomfortable with the turn of events. "Uh... There, there?" he tried to console the blonde, patting his shoulder with an awkward hand. "I'm afraid my tales of wenches you would probably find boring and repetitive..."

Francis lifted his head so he could see into the lime green eyes. "Is this because you have not been with any?"

"What?" Arthur exclaimed, shock mixing with anger and embarrassment all at once.

"Because if that is so," Francis nuzzled his nose against the other's belly, "I could help you with that..."

"I've bedded plenty a woman!" Arthur shrieked, bringing his fist down on top of the blonde head. "Now get off me, you git!" Francis complied, sitting back with a pout and rubbing at the lump that was forming.

* * *

Night was falling on yet another day of similar events to all the ones prior and the pair once again found themselves on the beach to part ways. The sky was aglow of oranges and pinks as the last of the rays reflected off the calm rustling water. Arthur shivered slightly against the breeze that swept off of the sea, a slight chill gained from the loss of the sun. Francis began to undo the borrowed jacket when he saw the raised bumps on the others arms. "I should be going and you need this more than I do."

Arthur's eyes focused on everything else but the man in front him, not trusting his gaze from straying from the merman's face. "Yes, of course. No need for you to return tomorrow." He repeated out of habit, regardless of how it would shatter him if they were carried out.

"You'll never see me again." Francis promised, knowing he would never keep such a one as that and handed the coat over, amused at how the captain kept his gaze averted from his uncovered form.

Arthur pulled the still warm fabric around him and pressed his nose against cloth to catch the small whiff that remained caught in the fibres. He chanced a quick glance at the retreating form of blonde, letting his eyes linger where a proper man wouldn't and then backed away from the beach to spend the night quietly awaiting the dawn.

With his tail reformed and scales once again adorning his skin, Francis swept quickly across the ocean floor in the direction of his home. A smile tugged at his lips at the idea of returning tomorrow to repeat the same pattern he had for a while now and his mind was gladly conjuring up pictures of a certain man until he was brought from his musing by a flash of pale and dark olive green scales.

Francis stopped short as he was roughly tackled by the cackling fiend, and scowled at the albino that clung to him. "Hey Francis, what have you been up to lately?" Gilbert grinned at him, a knowing smile giving him a more devilish appearance.

"Nothing more than usual." Francis quickly lied, trying to pry the strong arms the gripped him off.

"Is that so?" Gilbert eyes glinted. "You haven't spending your days alone on an island with a rather hot looking sailor man then?" Francis gulped in response and this made Gilbert cackle louder. "I knew it! I win Toni!"

Antonio grumbled something incoherently, and Francis wasn't sure if he wanted to know what exactly the two had betting on him. "Why are you here?"

"We followed you." Antonio stated plainly circling closer and tilting his head as he examined Francis.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you around at all." Gilbert finally released the blonde and used his much more angular and powerful fins to push himself away. "So we figured you would be up to something and waited for you to leave this morning. I knew you had to be sleeping with someone."

Francis tried to escape the inquiries of his friends, darting out of their grasps and swimming towards the safety of home. "We are not together in that way, I am merely taking care of him."

"What?!" The albino stilled in shock. Antonio breezed up, turning with a chuckle to his frozen friend. "Then you have not won the bet." He gave a wide grin as he chased after their retreating friend.

Gilbert recovered quickly, flicking his tail in haste easily catching up to and overtaking the blonde. "Why the hell not?"

Francis frowned as he swam forward. "It's not our arrangement."

Gilbert seemed to think this over for minute. "Then can I have him?"

"You will not go anywhere near him!"Francis halted, Antonio barely able to swerve around him to avoid a collision. "Don't you have Roderich and Elizabeta for these types of things?"

"It's fairly open on my part." Gilbert shrugged, his colour deprived scales reflecting the pale moonlight as he moved and giving him a slight glow. "But that doesn't answer the question of why you wouldn't be all over that man. There's an obvious thing between the two of you."

"What?" The blonde paled, "There isn't anything!"

The albino rolled his eyes in annoyance. "So what was that scene on the beach then? 'I must go!' 'Must you leave me?'" Actions accompanied Gilbert's reenactment, keeping just out of arm's reach as he acted out what had occurred not long before with a few added liberties, much to the agony of Francis. "And then you left him, and single tear rolled down his cheek..."

"It didn't happen like that." Francis argued.

"I thought it had a wonderful romantic edge to it that really showed the underlying and unspoken passion between the two of you." Antonio joined in, earning his own reproachful glare from the blonde.

"Since when have the two of you been so interested in my affairs?" Francis tried again, eyeing them both suspiciously.

"Since this is the first you've ever spent this much time on one single person." Gilbert countered, "You always switch between whatever captures your attention, so it's strange to see you so focused for this long."

Antonio nodded in agreement, though Francis shook his head. "It hasn't been that long..."

"It's been months." Antonio informed him, and with some thought Francis realized he was correct. A long stretch of time had passed since he had found the pirate captain adrift in the sea, and he had simply filled his days with occupying his attentions on Arthur, neglecting all else.

"What I want to know is if you plan on turning him." Gilbert asked when he could no longer stand the blonde's silence.

"No..." Francis said slowly, looking away from his friends as he did so.

"Isn't that a bit cruel?" Antonio's eyes narrowed with concern. "He's alone on that island all the time..."

"Do you not think I'm a suitable care taker?" Francis asked, feeling as though he was being accused of something.

Antonio raised his hands in defence. "That's not it. But what about him? Will he want to spend the rest of his life there?"

"He has me..." It was a weak answer and they all knew it.

Gilbert for a rare moment looked serious. "Of course he does. Come on, let's go home."

* * *

"There are times I miss sailing." Arthur stated, looking over the ocean in front of him with longing. They were resting on the sandy beach, not far from where they had first arrived, and the afternoon sun was shining brightly down on their heads.

Thoughts of the discussion Francis had with his friends several days prior resurfaced and he barely managed a smile. "What about it do you miss?"

Arthur's eyes never left the sparkling water. "The exploration of something unknown. The thrill of a battle. The smell of salt and the crashing of waves to lull you asleep at night." He gave a long sigh that only made Francis suddenly feel guilty. "Have you ever been on a ship?"

"Once... While I was still human." Francis looked down, fighting the urge to lie. If he were to trust anyone, this human seemed best suited for it. "After my parents died." Arthur grew quiet as he waited for the merman to continue, allowing the other to speak in his own time. "I... I can't say that I had the same experience as you and... things happened that lead to my becoming what I am now." His arms were subconsciously heading towards himself in an effort to both shield and hold himself together. "I haven't set foot on a ship since."

Arthur didn't require the full story to understand that it was not a pleasant memory. "What if I taught you how to fight?" Francis's eyes were filled with surprise. "That way if you were ever in a situation similar you would be at least able to defend yourself."

Francis wasn't sure what to say, and stared dumbly at the other until he was dragged to his feet by the man. "Here, stand up straight and spread your feet out a bit. That will help you balance your weight."

"Are you really capable of teaching me something like this?" Francis questioned as he complied with the demands.

With a scoff Arthur narrowed his eyes. "I can handle myself well enough in a fight. Or have you forgotten that you are speaking to a pirate? Now hold your hands up like this." He assumed a loose boxing position and waited for Francis to clumsily copy his movements. He tried several times to get Francis to throw precise punches and make accurate blocks, but what the merman lacked in force he made up for in grace, trying to add unnecessarily fluidity to the quick jabs.

Arthur was growing frustrated with the other's learning curve and stalked forward catching his wrist and holding it tightly. "You don't have to look so damn pretty when you hit people!"

"Are you saying I'm pretty?" Francis leered at the suddenly blushing man.

"Not in the slightest." Arthur managed to growl out, releasing the captured wrist and going to leave but stopped when Francis grabbed his arm.

"Your face says otherwise." Francis teased.

"I've had enough out of you!"

* * *

"Why is that you are so completely opposed to swimming?" Francis glared when his suggestion was turned down once more.

The captain was completely unmoved in his opinion. "How do I know you won't drown me?"

Francis could have screamed in frustration. "We've known each other for how long now? Do you really think I would wait this long to try to kill you? Had it been your death I was after I would have left you here to starve!"

"I utterly refuse to go into the water." Arthur stated again, and Francis began to tug at his own hair.

"At least give me a reason why!" Arthur's face twitched slightly at that. "The sea is a wonderful place and I want to share in its beauty with you!"

The captain's breath hitched slightly at that and Francis realized too late what it sounded like he had said. "I meant it like you should be able to enjoy it as well." He tried to recover, and things felt a little more awkward than he had originally intended.

"I can't swim..." Came the whispered reply, and Francis was thrown by the statement.

"Can't...? You who has taken on Spanish Galleons fearlessly does not know how to keep his head above the water?" He searched the others face looking for some indication that the other had been lying but was unable to find any. "Then I'll teach you." Francis declared, earning the surprised face that turned to him now. "It's only fair that since you have been trying to teach me how to fight for a time now that I teach you how to swim."

When he didn't receive a reply, he approached and pushed himself beyond what the British pirate would have considered to be comfortable and proper distance apart and he knew it. "I would never allow you to drown. You still owe me your life, remember? I couldn't just let you die without fulfilling that."

Arthur directed the must hateful of glares into the deep blue eyes. "And here I thought you might actually care about me."

* * *

Evening had fallen once again and the ritualistic departure was approaching swiftly as it had all the nights before. Francis fiddled with the jacket he wore knowing he should return and like always hesitated. "I should leave..." he mumbled when he could put it off no longer.

"I see. No need for you to return." Arthur repeated like any other night and Francis began to pull the buttons from their matching holes. He had nearly undone them all when Arthur spoke up again. "Francis, wait." Francis dutifully halted his movements, looking expectantly at the blonde whose green eyes shone with determination in the dwindling light. "Don't leave."

His heart began to beat more rapidly inside of his chest and he took a step forward towards the blonde. "You would rather me stay?"

"I mean, the nights would be easier spent with another's company." Arthur replied softly allowing the other to draw closer.

Francis reached his hand forward, interlacing his fingers with Arthur's and breaking their evening traditions. "Then I'll stay till morning." He allowed Arthur to lead him back to the clearing they knew so well and they spent the night with one another, their limbs tangled as they pressed against each other's bodies in search of warmth and comfort, and resting peacefully inside the makeshift shelter.

The first rays of light shone across Francis's face with the dawn and he cracked his eyelids to observe his surroundings. Arthur was still sleeping soundly, his arms pulling Francis closer to himself and the merman gazed warmly at the peaceful look on the other's face devoid of its normal scowl. Like this the captain's true beauty seemed to shine through, and Francis began to wish this side of him would show through his usual mask. The merman closed his eyes, lightly dozing until he awoke again to the Arthur's restlessness.

He began to wonder if the captain's eyes had always been this bright, as the blonde yawned and smiled. "Morning." Arthur mumbled, resting his head against him. Francis found it odd how this was the man that usually pushed him away and was now at ease in his arms. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough" was his reply, and they lay like that for a while longer until the rumbling of their stomachs signalled the need to finally arise. They took their time, journeying across the island to gather ripened fruits and talking lightly about unimportant things. This new arrangement seemed foreign to the both of them, but not unwelcomed as they found their breakfasts and decided to stroll along the beach. With their breakfasts finished and their hands otherwise unoccupied, their fingers tentatively met between them as they looked at nothing in particular.

Francis had been so enjoying their time together that he was surprised when after rounding a corner Arthur froze and ripped his hand away. Though that soon became the least of his worries.

Standing in front of them were two longboats worth of sailors, some of which were already reaching for weapons at the sight of the pair.

* * *

_AN: Welcome to my story where everyone seems to speak in proper slightly more older styled English... Except for Gilbert. /sigh  
_

_Also, the mentioned above are some actual ways of surviving on a beach in case you ever find yourself in such a situation._

_Thank you to everyone for reading! I'll finish the last chapter soon :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur had stepped so that he was shielding Francis who couldn't move and whose blue eyes were transfixed on the group in front of them. What were they even doing here? This was a middle of nowhere island that was likely not even bothered to be placed on most maps. Arthur's mind was racing as he considered all available options. There were too many of them to fight, and running could buy them some time, but the island was not that large. Perhaps if they managed to separate them they could be taken down that way, but this plan had too many things that could go wrong and the problem remained of what to do with the men after, or the ship that was waiting for them somewhere. Things were looking grim, and Arthur gritted his teeth as the men began to pull cutlasses, axes, and pistols from their belts.

"Woah, Artie? Is that you?" Arthur straightened at the familiar voice, and the sailors looked back in confusion as a tall blonde stepped out from behind them. The blonde's eyes dazzled, matching his enormous smile in radiance. "Stand down, everyone. Artie here's a friend."

"Alfred?" Arthur stared in disbelief and Francis glanced between the two in confusion.

"In the flesh." Alfred placed his hands on hips, straightening his chest. "Though, last I'd heard, you were dead."

"About that…" Arthur rubbed the back of his head, wondering how much the other man had heard. "I've been living here since then."

"For over a year?" A mirror image blonde stepped out from behind Alfred, his violet eyes narrowed. "And who is your friend?"

"Him?" Arthur jerked his thumb behind him towards Francis. "Just a friend. He was shipwrecked and living on this island when I arrived." Francis couldn't help but stare at the back of the captain's head. Why would he lie, unless the pair in front of him didn't believe in fairy tales, but that could be easily cleared up with a trip to the water's edge? And, oh, how he did love to show off his beautiful form.

"Weren't you always the one teaching us manners?" The blonde asked, a small, innocent looking smile gracing his child-like face. "Shouldn't you introduce us?"

"This is Francis." Arthur turned around to meet the merman, and for a moment Francis was sure he caught a hint of an apologetic look. "Francis, I would like you to meet Alfred and Matthew." Both blondes nodded as his name was called and Arthur turned back to them, his face returned to a look of brazenness. "Brothers and Co-Captains of the Deliverance."

"Pleased to meet you." Matthew inclined his head slightly with a polite and sweet smile.

"Yeah, same." Alfred added quickly. "Artie was our mentor back in the day. Practically raised the two of us and taught us everything he knows."

Francis coughed slightly in attempt to recover his voice. "It seems you are all very close, then?" he managed to ask weakly.

"These two brats tried to pick pocket me while I was in port." Arthur spat out, casting a glare at the cheerful brothers. "As punishment I decided to have them work for me."

"We were supposed to work for you?" Alfred asked, looking confused. "I thought you were trying to be our mother."

After a brief moment where Arthur seemed stunned, he began to scream every available curse that came to mind while Alfred simply laughed loudly at each one. Gathered around them, the crew watched the entire scene in relative silence upon realizing that there wasn't any real danger, opting to stow away their weapons and studying the new comers with interest. A small smile graced Matthew's lips as he watched the familiar antics of his brother and mentor and even Francis managed to chuckle at Arthur's actions. Eventually the British captain ran out of names to call the younger man after repeating several of them and settled for quietly scowling with his face flushed to a bright red.

"Why is he wearing your coat?" Alfred suddenly asked boldly and his brother beside him began to blush.

"He's French and been living here devoid of proper society." Arthur crossed his arms, "I have to stuff him inside of that thing every day so that I don't have to see him prance about in the nude." Francis kept quiet, but it didn't stop the confusion or feelings of hurt. Was this really how Arthur felt? Had everything in the past year been a lie? His chest began to ache, but he kept his composure, pretending to be unaffected by the Brit's harsh words.

Alfred nodded slowly. "I guess that makes sense… Mattie, you know the French better than I do. Is that really how they act?" Matthew gave a small shrug but otherwise refused to answer or look at the pair, keeping his eyes diverted to the side for the time being. When he realized he wasn't going to anything more, Alfred's quickly shifting mind focused on something else. "Well, I guess that we would be able to give the two of you a lift to civilization. Where you go from there is your concern."

"Yes, that would be agreeable." Arthur answered smoothly, a hint of smile gracing his face. He made to take a step forward but paused as though he had reconsidered something. "Actually, there are few things we'd like to collect first, if it isn't too much bother. It would only take a moment for us to go and fetch them."

"Like what?" Alfred asked, his eyes roaming the pair searching for anything missing.

"Just a few things we've gathered during our stay." Arthur replied quickly, trying to step away. "It won't take long."

"If it's not too important just leave it behind." Matthew advised, looking at them once again. "You will want to replace everything as it is and you don't need the extra luggage." He watched Arthur pause and consider what he said and smiled warmly in response. "Besides, I bet the two of you haven't had a proper meal in long time. You could come aboard and eat your fill. We recently acquired more supplies."

"Ah… Yes…" Arthur slowly replied, turning back. "That would be kind."

Alfred's face lit up as his enormous grin spread. "Great! We'll take you back to the ship and get you settled in. Maybe catch up?" he chatted happily, bounding forward in excitement and grabbing Arthur's arm. Matthew turned to address several of the crew quietly and they each nodded at the orders and became busy. "We've done a lot of stuff since you last saw us, Artie!" Alfred continued, half dragging the man forward towards one of the long boats. "I think it's better than anything you've ever done."

"I doubt it." Arthur sneered, managing to free himself from the younger captain's clutches and glaring harshly at the large smile.

"Are you joining us?" Matthew asked, drifting alongside his brother and staring at Francis with curiosity as he had still yet to move from his place. The others looked back, Alfred tilting his head to one side and Arthur trying to hold a commanding look but it softened slightly when his bright green eyes met Francis's blue ones. Francis looked away and suddenly felt his stomach knot when he realized what was happening. Following Arthur would mean boarding a ship, something he had not done since he cast off the last one. His stomach seemed to clench tighter at that and he met Arthur's gaze once again.

"Come on!" Alfred yelled, waving his arms in Francis's direction. "You don't really want to stay here do you?"

Francis stared a moment more at Arthur before looking down. He did want to stay here, where it was only him and Arthur and the rest of the world was forgotten. But the longer he stood there, the stranger it seemed and so he took a hesitant step forward towards them. He did his best to smile at the brothers and avoid Arthur as he joined them besides one of the two boats. Two more of the crew stepped forward and together with Alfred and Matthew began to push the boat back off the beach towards the water.

"Wait!" Everyone froze and stared at Arthur who strode forward. "Francis is afraid of the water. Let him get in first before you push it out."

Francis couldn't help but gape and Alfred frowned. "Afraid of the…? What?"

Arthur shrugged easily. "Personally, I think it has something to do with how he was ship wrecked, but he would never talk about it."

Alfred blinked several times and turned to look at Francis. "Is this true?" Francis was at a complete loss for words, starting a few times and unable to come up with anything and frustrated that he was unable to do so.

Matthew sighed. "Just let him get on. There are enough of us to still push the boat out."

After a moment Alfred nodded in agreement and stood back to wait, raising an eyebrow at the Frenchman. Francis stepped forward, though he was sure his legs were betraying him in doing so, and tried to clamber into the small craft though his movements seemed stiff and awkward. If it wasn't for Arthur appearing beside him and helping he would have more than likely ended up upside down in the most undignified position imaginable and was distinctly aware of the number of eyes that watched as he tried to settle himself calmly on one of the wooden benches. The surfaces were a bit weather worn and rough beneath his exposed skin as he his fingers clenched the seat beneath him when the boat lurched forward back into the sea. The bobbing it began among the small waves was foreign and he stiffened when the group managed to push the boat out far enough that the bottom no longer brushed the sandy surface beneath them. The others easily jumped in, Arthur positioning himself beside Francis, Matthew and Alfred on the other side, and the two additional crew in between who immediately took hold of the oars and began rowing.

Francis caught Arthur inspecting him out of the corner of his eye but ignored it in favor of taking a final look at the small island they were leaving. Memories of fights and long talks, of shared meals and lessons, and the familiar rituals of greetings and departures all flooded his mind simultaneously, ending with the blissful evening the night before where he thought that perhaps there had been something more. It left a bitter pain in his chest to recall the event that seemed so long ago had only ended a few hours earlier.

He could hear Arthur beside him chatting with Alfred, the occasional swear and insult mixed in, and he managed to tear his eyes away from the island to the occupiers of the long boat. Alfred and Arthur were two engrossed in their conversation to pay him any attention and the two crew members were busy with their task leaving him to converse with Matthew. With a smile, Matthew began to politely ask about his origins and the time he spent sharing an island with Arthur. Francis tried to return the smile as he answered every question, but it was difficult now that he could clearly see the large ship they heading towards.

The Deliverance was a large and very majestic vesselnand it was easy to see that it followed the contemporary British style. Large masts stood along the deck that supported multiple ivory sails, the canvas rolled to keep the ship from drifting. Hatches dotted the length of the sides, behind each one Francis knew would be a large cannon and there was an impressive number if the external evidence was anything to go by. It was also strange to see that the ship's figurehead was of a bear, certainly very unusual of any of the ships he had seen.

The sight of the ship caused dread to pool in his stomach and he clenched the wooden bench harder trying to offer Matthew another smile. He was sure the others were chalking up his actions to be a fear of the water or something of the like, and it frustrated him to be under such a pretense. It was only Arthur and his need to speak with him once they found a moment alone that was keeping Francis from diving over the side of craft and back into the safety of the water. Instead, he could feel cold sweat begin to form beneath the coat he still wore and the sick feeling that came from his gut as they drew nearer.

All too soon the boat was against the large ship and Alfred and Matthew quickly climbed the ladder built into the side. Arthur was next to move towards the ladder but waited for Francis to move from his place. Francis tried to cross closer to the ladder, but swayed dangerously in doing so despite the crew holding the boat still against the hull. They both snickered at the sight, to which Arthur ignored, looking at the merman with concern. "Are you going to be able to climb up?"

Francis paused and tried to gauge the length he would have to climb. It normally would be an easy feat for even an average sailor, but for him it seemed near impossible. Still, he nodded dumbly and waited as Arthur ascended high enough for him to begin.

It was difficult to climb as it was but it was made even harder now that his palms were wet and his legs shaky. It seemed some miracle that he managed most of the way up on his own even if the progress was slow, and reached for Arthur's offered hand to help pull him over the railing. He offered a smile of thanks and earning a nod in return from Arthur.

"Great, now that you've managed to get on board," Alfred interrupted them, and they turned to meet two identical twisted grins behind pistols pointed their direction, "but the only available room we have for you is the holding cell below deck."

"What…? What is the meaning of this?!" Arthur screeched, eyes flickering back and forth between the brothers. "Explain yourselves!"

"You've been out of the game too long, Arthur." Matthew smoothly replied, "We officially work for the queen, and it pleases her Majesty when we bring the scourge of the seas to justice."

"And," Alfred added, laughing lightly to himself, "she pardons any other… activities… we may find ourselves in."

"Actually, it was an incredible stroke of luck that we found you so soon after sinking one of her vessels." Matthew mused, violet eyes drifting a bit in thought, "We had been discussing ways to get back in her good graces once she found out one of her flag ships had gone missing."

"You…" Arthur started, anger seeping into every word, "work for the queen and still attack her ships? So those supplies you spoke of? They came from one of her ships! And I bet you are hiding spoils on that island."

"Two for two, Arthur." Matthew smiled pleasantly, though it seemed much more sickening than sweet. "I'm impressed. You are still as sharp as ever."

"Don't you patronize me, you prat!" Arthur spat out, glaring daggers.

"Take it easy, Artie." Alfred frowned disapprovingly. "And you are one to speak as though anything you did was honorable. After all, you were the one to teach us about seizing every available opportunity. It was how you rose to be such a ruthless captain and a feared pirate. You should know the Unicorn didn't fare too well with your absence." There was a bit of a dark twinge to Alfred's expression that Francis couldn't help but find incredibly disturbing.

"The Unicorn? What happened to my ship?" Arthur growled, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.

"She didn't put up much of fight. It was actually a bit pathetic." Alfred whined, recalling the battle in his mind.

"Actually, it was how we knew you were no longer on board." Matthew supplied from where his brother left off, "and your former first mate told us how you had been set adrift months earlier. Well, there had been rumors, of course, but nothing proven. Your name still holds fear in plenty of men's hearts."

"I was really hoping for more of a challenge." Alfred continued to whine. "It kinda felt like we were putting an old dog out of its misery…"

Arthur's eyes widened a fraction as realization dawned on him. "You… you gits sunk by bloody ship!" He screamed, shaking with uncontrollable rage.

"Relax Artie, we did you a favor." Alfred grinned proudly, "The crew mutinied against you and we took care of them all. Most of them are resting comfortably with the Unicorn at the bottom of the ocean."

"And the rest we handed over to the authorities in London." Matthew added. "They faced the same fate you will soon enough."

"You're just going to turn me over to face my death?!" Arthur cried in outrage, "We're practically family!"

"And it was you who taught us to always look out for ourselves first." Arthur stared in absolute disbelief at Matthew while he continued. "Bringing you in will really raise our standings in Britain. The infamous son of Admiral Kirkland; The black mark on an otherwise perfect family." Arthur managed a snarl in response. "We'll finish our business here and once the tide comes in again we will sail for the heart of the British Empire. It's been a long time since you set foot on her soil, hasn't it?" Matthew added.

"And what of Francis?" Said man, jumped slightly at suddenly being included in the conversation and stared at the back of Arthur's head. "He's not a pirate, turning him in would get you nothing! Leave him on that island if you wish! He's nothing to you!"

Alfred tilted his head. "Why? Is he something to you?"

Arthur opened and shut his mouth several times, unable to come up with a descent retort. Matthew's eyes ventured from Arthur to Francis and lingered there. "No, I think it would be better if he came along. He looks like he could be entertaining."

All of the dread that had gathered within Francis from the entire morning turned to pure fear at those words and his mind froze from the terror of the implications. It was while he was focused what had been said that the missed what Arthur was doing. The captain had hunched his shoulders and began to growl lowly, "You… stupid… bastard!" Before he knew what was happening, Arthur had turned and leapt on Francis, grabbing him by the coat and pushing him back against the railing. But it didn't stop there, Arthur kept pushing, and Francis had been too shocked to offer any real resistance and soon he was over the side and plummeting towards the salt water.

His tail reformed beneath the coat as soon as he was submerged, and the waterlogged fabric pulled further beneath the surface so that he missed the two blonde faces that appeared where he been moments before. They both frowned when the realized that the Francis would not be resurfacing and Alfred turned back to glare at a smug looking Arthur. "So by afraid of the water, you meant he couldn't swim?"

Arthur couldn't help but smirk at that. "Still remarkably slow as ever, Alfred."

Alfred growled at that, while beside him Matthew sighed and rested his chin on his hand while he continued to watch the water below. "I'm a bit disappointed actually. He seemed really interesting."

"Hey Mattie." Matthew lifted his head to look at his brother. "Are we allowed to punish prisoners we capture?"

Matthew blinked slowly then turned further to look at Arthur, his face calm and a stark contrast to Alfred's angry expression. "It would probably seem that we had gone soft on our old mentor if we didn't." Arthur narrowed his eyes while Alfred seemed to grin a bit further. "But I'll leave that to you." Matthew stood and stepped past them towards the stern and their quarters. "Try not to kill him, Al."

Beneath the ship, Francis was swimming in frantic circles as he tried to piece together everything that had happened. Arthur was going to be taken back to London where he was going to be executed and it was only thanks to him that Francis would not share a similar fate. The merman continued to circle as he recalled the last thing that Arthur had spoken to him in a near inaudible whisper before he was released over the side of the ship:

"We're even."

Francis wanted to scream and tear the planks from the underside of the hull in frustration. What he needed was a plan and he had nothing so he continued to swim, unsure what to do or how to rescue Arthur. Because he knew there was no way he could leave that man behind.

It seemed impossible though, and that frustrated him even more. Maybe if he had help…

He spun and quickly swam towards home, the entire way praying that Gilbert and Antonio were there and not out on various pursuits. His mind was so focused on his destination, that he forgot he was still wearing the heavy coat and that it was hindering some of his progress. Still Francis swam, pushing himself to go as fast as he could through the water and ignoring the protests of his muscles against the strain.

Two sets of eyes looked up at him as Francis burst in and collapsed before his two friends. Gilbert raised a concerned eyebrow at his friend while Antonio chuckled and swam forward to prod his head with a finger. "Amigo! What a surprise! We hadn't expected to see you! And why are you wearing this coat?" Antonio laughed and threw him a wink. "Is it a gift from your pirate friend?"

Francis ignored all that and looked pleadingly towards Gilbert instead. "Please, you have to help me! They have him. They have Arthur!"

"Who, Francis?" Gilbert said, dropping what he had and dashing forward to grab Francis by the shoulders. "Who has Arthur? What happened?"

Francis tried to recount everything that had happened as quickly as possible watching as his friends' faces grew grave with the tale and they glanced at each other as he finished and tried once again to beg for their help. Gilbert grimaced as he relented, "When do they leave?'

"When the tide returns." Francis repeated what he had heard.

"Then we don't have much time. I'll go ahead." Gilbert shot past them, as he was the fastest swimmer of the trio and was soon out of sight.

Antonio grabbed Francis by his arm and started to pull the tired blonde back the way he had come. It was a struggle, and Francis had even more difficulty in attempting to keep pace with Antonio and ended up being dragged along. It took much longer for them to arrive and by the time they had, the tide had already risen once again and night was falling as the large ship was leaving the little island in its wake.

Gilbert met them as they approached and Francis didn't like the look in his eye. "Francis…" he started, his face serious, "I don't see how we can get him back…"

"No!" Francis cried, freeing himself from Antonio and latching onto Gilbert. "Please! There has to be a way!"

"Maybe there is…" Antonio muttered from behind them and both whipped their head towards the brunette who was looking thoughtfully into the distance.

They waited a minute for Antonio to continue but when he didn't Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Well? Out with it Toni!"

"Hmm? Oh, right." Antonio looked surprised before recalling what he had thought of. "Whenever I watch the Italian ships, they always seem to be afraid of something."

"What are they afraid of?" Francis asked, a glint of hope returning.

"Well, most everything." Antonio answered and Gilbert gave him an incredulous look.

"That's not very helpful Toni…"

"Well, what if we scared the sailors on that ship?" Antonio suggested and Gilbert continued to stare at him.

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Gilbert asked.

"Do they think you are dead?" Antonio looked at Francis expectantly and Francis thought about it for a moment.

"I… suppose so… since they don't know what I am…"

"Then you just have to act like a vengeful spirit and ask for your dear little Arthur to be returned to you!" Antonio smiled broadly while Gilbert shook his head.

"Are you listening to yourself? That plan has way too many things that could go wrong! What if they don't fall for it and they capture Francis as well?" Antonio continued to smile while Gilbert argued with him.

"I'll do it." Francis said quietly and both his friends looked up at him.

"There's no guarantee that it'll work…" Gilbert said slowly and Francis shook his head.

"I have to try." Francis pleaded and Gilbert gave up with a sigh.

"Fine, but we won't be able to help you. You'll be on your own for that part." Francis nodded and the trio swam quickly back towards the departing ship and surfaced beside ladder that Francis had used earlier that day. Gilbert looked at him again with concern. "You don't have to do this."

Francis turned, a look of determination set on his face. "I am going."

"Then good luck." Francis nodded, quickly diving below the surface and turning once he deemed himself deep enough he swam quickly upwards, propelling himself towards the ladder and managing to grip it with his fingers on the first try. From there he clung against it while he waited for his feet to form and began to slowly push his way upwards again. It was just as difficult as it had been before, especially now that he was weighed down by the water logged coat he had refused to remove, still he was focused and soon found himself looking at the deck of the Deliverance.

It was fairly quiet, as Francis cautiously peered over the edge, gauging where most of the sailors were. No one seemed to be paying too much attention to where he was so he quietly pulled himself to stand on the railing and had to grasp some nearby rigging in order to steady himself. At least from here if something were to go wrong he could easily escape. The last of the sunlight was disappearing on the horizon a cool night breeze blew across his skin causing him to shiver slightly. Francis wasn't sure what he should do, but it didn't take long for someone to notice him. Cries went out among the crew and soon the noise had earned the attention of the captains.

"What's going on?" Alfred called as he stormed onto the deck, hastily pulling his jacket on as he looked around the crew silently demanding an explanation. A few of them men raised shaky arms to point in Francis's direction, and Alfred stumbled a little when he saw the soaked blonde directing the most hateful of glares in his direction. His eyes widened and he began to shake at the sight.

He was not there for long before he was joined by Matthew who looked around at everyone with confusion. "What's happen-"

Matthew was unable to finish the sentence when his brother launched himself at him and began to squeeze the life out of him. "Mattie! It's Francis! He's back from the dead!"

Matthew gasped for air while trying to force his brother off of him, his eyes darting around until they spotted Francis standing on the railing. "What…?"

"Please don't kill us!" Alfred yelped in terror. "What do you want?"

"Arthur." Francis growled, doing his best to look more angry than worried. "He killed me."

"Yes, it was all him!" Alfred hurriedly agreed while Matthew coughed from between his arms. "We had nothing to do with it! Spare us!"

"Give him to me." Francis commanded, narrowing his eyes at Alfred who quickly nodded his head and ordered someone to go and fetch Arthur from below.

"Al…" Matthew choked out, "Wait…"

"Shhh, Mattie. Don't anger him more." Alfred tried to hush him, stroking his hair softly while Matthew tried to pry himself free. It didn't take long before two of the crew returned dragging a limp Arthur between them. They pushed him forward not wanting to get too close to the 'spirit' and Arthur stumbled forward, landing face first on the deck and Francis noticed with dismay that the back of his shirt was stained a dark red.

Arthur lifted his head, his bleary eyes looking around before finding Francis standing before him and the merman suddenly found it difficult to hold his angry glare. His large eyebrows came together in confusion as he looked up. "You killed me." Francis said slowly, hoping Arthur caught on quickly.

Arthur blinked twice before recognition formed in his eyes and he turned back towards where Alfred was cowering on the deck with a half-strangled Matthew. "Wait! I'd rather go to London!"

"N-no way!" Alfred cried, pulling Matthew tighter against him. "We're not risking being cursed by some ghost!"

"Al…" Matthew tried again, "what if… 's trick…"

"You will pay for killing me." Francis snarled, doing his best to sound terrifying, and if the way Alfred flinched when he spoke was any indicator, then he was doing a pretty good job of it.

Wincing slightly, Arthur managed to rise to his feet and Francis held out his free hand to him. Once Arthur took it, he was jerked forward, and once Francis was able to gain a better hold of him, they both fell over the side. The sting of their sudden collision with the water made Francis lose hold of Arthur momentarily, but once he was returned to his true form, he was quick to right himself and grab hold of the wildly struggling man. Arthur fought against him in a blind attempt to save himself, his eyes closed tightly against the salt water, and Francis had difficulties not losing him a second time.

He managed to get a firm hold of the hair on the back of Arthur's head and used it to pull his face closer and crash their lips together. Arthur tried to pull back in surprise, but Francis wouldn't let him, instead forcing his mouth open and pushing the left over air from his lungs into the man.

Arthur stilled for a moment, until Francis tugged his chin up and switched to using his gills. With him gone Arthur began to struggle once again, though it wasn't as desperate. When Arthur began to release bubbles, Francis tugged him close again and repeated the same movements, breathing the supply that had been replaced through the use of his gills. After that, Arthur calmed enough to stop struggling and settled for clinging to Francis and trembling slightly against his chest.

Satisfied that Arthur was no longer in danger, Francis wrapped his arms around him and looked up to see his friends staring in disbelief. Gilbert's mouth hung open as he looked on and he shook his head slowly. "That actually worked? I can't believe I am actually going to say this, "he turned his head to look at Antonio, "Toni, you're a genius."

Antonio grinned and laughed. "Who would have known?"

Gilbert shook his head again and turned his attention back to Francis. "But, really Francis? You still haven't turned him yet?"

Francis frowned and offered another breath to Arthur. "It never came up."

"What have you two been doing on that island?" Gilbert asked.

"Talking mostly…"

"And you couldn't spare a few minutes to tell him he can join our awesome group?" Gilbert pressed, "Or even better, you could have waited for him to fall asleep, then pounced on him, seized his-"

"Elizaveta really let you talk like that Gilbert?" Francis chided and Gilbert paled.

"Don't you tell her anything."

"Help me get back to shore and I won't say a word." Francis instructed, knowing he wouldn't be saying anything as it was. After all, he didn't have a death wish.

With their added help, it didn't take long for the strange group to reach the shore line and Francis waved them off, bringing Arthur to the surface alone and leading him to where his feet could touch. They didn't say a word as they pulled themselves onto the beach fell over into the sand, not caring that it stuck to their wet skin. The waves continued to crash on top of them, but exhaustion prevented them from attempting to pull themselves further onto the beach, and Francis's tail remained, the early evening moonlight giving the scales a light glow.

Francis rested his cheek on the sand and closed his eyes as he listened to Arthur panting and his lips twitched upwards into half smile that quickly disappeared when he received a face full of sand.

"Quit smiling you idiot. That was a stupid thing to do." Arthur growled, and Francis opened his eyes while he tried to spit out the grains that found their way into his mouth.

"You are so cruel!" Francis whined, "Why would you say that?"

"Because you were already safe!" Arthur chucked another handful of sand at him. "I made sure they didn't know what you were and you should have gone back to the ocean where you belonged."

Francis dragged his arm across his mouth, but it didn't completely rid it of the gritty feeling. "I couldn't leave you behind. They were going to kill you."

Arthur quieted for a moment as he thought about it. "It was still stupid." He concluded, preparing to through more sand.

Francis latched his fingers around his wrist and rolled so that he ended up on top of the captain, pinning him down. Arthur groaned, the added weight pressing his injured back into the sand, and Francis readjusted to accommodate him with a light apology. Once Francis was settled, and the threat of thrown sand was gone, Arthur sighed and looked away. "I suppose this means I owe you again, doesn't it?"

Francis put his thumb and forefinger on the man's chin and tugged so that he could look into the other's face. "You don't have to. I can make it so we're even."

"How?" Arthur looked up, trying piece together what Francis meant.

"Join me." He said simply watching as the green eyes searched him. "Become like me and come live with me."

Arthur stared up at him and Francis silently wished for him to say yes. "Does that mean I will grow a tail and scales?" Francis nodded his head. "And will I be able to walk on land still?" Francis nodded again. Arthur quieted and seemed to think a bit further. "Do you promise not to be so French and annoying?"

"I'm annoying?" Francis gave him a shocked look. "You are terribly rude, you barbaric-"

"Who were the others?" Arthur cut him off, gazing up at him expectantly.

"What?" Francis gaped, not following where the conversation had taken a sudden turn to.

"I heard voices after we got off the ship." Arthur gave him a flat look. "In the water. Everything was garbled, so I couldn't tell what was being said, but I know there were others there. Who were they? Other merfolk?"

"Yes…" Francis said slowly. "What are your feelings towards the Spanish and Prussians?"

Arthur frowned. "About the same as the French. Why?"

"No reason!" Francis laughed quickly though it only made Arthur scowl further.

"Don't you know any British merpeople?"

"No." Francis responded after some quick thought. "You'll be the first I've met." Arthur huffed at that and it made Francis chuckle. "Do I take that as a yes?"

With a glare, Arthur tilted his head to look fully into the Francis's face. "It's not a no."

"I'm glad." Francis informed him, leaning closer to capture his lips in a soft kiss.

He kept it short, and when he pulled away Arthur stuck his tongue out at him. "Your mouth tastes like sand."

Francis rolled his eyes as he bent closer for a second. "Whose fault is that?"

* * *

_AN: The end?_

_I'd ask for reviews, but I'm sure they will all be people yelling at me for making Alfred and Matthew evil. So maybe I'll just explain why to save everyone the trouble:_

_I do love and adore the N. American brothers. I think they're adorable, but I always find it incredibly easy to make any of the characters evil. So I felt it was their turn. Plus, their combination of brains and brawn? Be fearful. And of course, I thought it worked better for my lame ending._

_Especially since you know after Arthur and Francis disappeared over the side, Alfred released his death grip on Matthew, sat back and said, "Phew. Good thing we didn't panic!" Most likely with the biggest grin possible. And Matthew managed to pause through the midst of his coughing and gasping for breath to glare at him._


End file.
